Unexpected Turn
by Handwithquill
Summary: the day before their wedding, Bella and Edward meet a old friend of Carlisle's. This is a cross over with Highlander


_**Unexpected Turn**_

**Authors note: This story was written in the months leading up to the release of Breaking Dawn. After lurking on a few different discussion boards, there were a few issues that I felt Bella needed to take care of before she became a vampire. I tried to address them in this story- it didn't quite work the way I wanted. But it was the first story that I had completed in quite a number of years, so I'm kind of attached to it. **

**Posting now because I opened an account to review a friends stories and now feel I need to post something.**

**It's also a crossover with Highlander: the series**

The morning of August 10th was the closest that Edward ever thought he would get to heaven. He lay in bed, Bella in his arms, her legs entwined with his, head resting on his shoulder and one arm clenching his waist as if trying to pull his closer as she slept. He lay there, watching the shadows recede across the ceiling of their bedroom. They had spent the last week packing up her room at Charlie's. Boxed overflowed out of the closet, he couldn't be happier.

"Hmm...Edward." she sighed as she nuzzled into his neck. A slight grin perched on his lips as he pressed a kiss into his Fiancée's hair. The grin became a full-fledged smile at that thought.

His Fiancée.

He _loved_ the sound of that. The only thing that would sound better was in three days when he could call her his Wife! He knew that she only reluctantly agreed to marry him to get him to make love to her before she became a vampire. But over the past two months of planning the wedding with Alice, she seemed to actually want this marriage as much as he did.

He knew she was waking up as her breathing changed and the hand around his waist slowly moved up his chest to his neck. Her head lifted and he looked down to meet her sleepy eyes. He opened his mouth to bid her Good Morning, but couldn't as her lips met his in a closed kiss. She pulled back just to reach in again, moving her lips against his slightly. At the same time, she placed her hands on either side of his head and moved her body over his, her knees on the bed, just shy of straddling him. His hand lay lightly on her hips. She kept this position as they traded kisses for a few minutes. Finally, she pulled away and settled herself full on top of him.

"Okay," she murmured into his neck, "Your can say it now, 'cause it's true."

"Good Morning!" he laughed.

"Yes, it is a good morning. So, what does Alice have on the torture agenda for today?"

"Nothing. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett went hunting. Before they left she asked Carlisle and Esme to pick something up in Seattle."

"What?"

"Not sure, she was very specific in trying not to think about it, and only gave them the address of where to get whatever it is." He laughed when he saw the expression on her face. "Don't worry, it can't be worse then anything she's done so far?"

"This is Alice! To her, its probably saving _**best**_ for last!" she settled back against him, her hand drifted lazy back and forth along his collarbone. "So, everyone's gone?"

"Mmhmm"

"We've got the house to ourselves?" she tilted her head up and placed an open mouth kiss on his neck. "No superhearing vampires around to accidentally listen in on what we do?" she kissed his neck again, this time letting to tip of her tongue briefly press against his Adams' apple. Bella loved doing this, not just because of the groan that seemed to be ripped from Edward's chest, but the way her warm lips felt when the came into contact with his cool flesh.

"Bella!" he hissed, then the world was spinning as Edward rolled them so that they were both facing the wall of windows.

"It's sunny today," Bella remarked, lifting their joined hands and tilting it back and forth, watching the sun reflect off his skin.

"Yes, it is, but Alice is predicting a storm tonight. Emmett wants to play ball. Should be interesting with the Denali coven arriving today." He felt Bella tense, "What?"

"Is...is it really safe, them coming here? They said that they wouldn't help with the newborns unless we let them go after the werewolves. It's only been two months since then, if Irina is still angry about Laurent, won't she go after the pack herself? That would break the treaty and put everyone in danger."

"I've already had Alice look for something of that nature. She didn't see anything and once they're here I will 'hear' if they decide to do something. Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Bella sighed. Of course he'd say that. Even if he was worried about it, he'd never tell her. She moved his hand so that the reflected light chased a fly battering against the window trying to get out. She sighed again, then dropped his hand and stood up. She grabbed her shoes and started to put the on. He stared at her, confused.

"Lets go to the meadow." Edward grinned and sprung off the bed.

It was a few hours past noon, when they returned. The sun had disappeared behind the normal cloud cover and the air was damp with the coming rain. Edward ran toward the steps, Bella clinging to his back, and leaped onto the porch and slid right into the living room.

His 'siblings' had already returned from their hunting party. Alice and Rosalie were watching Jasper beat Emmett at a video game.

"They're already here." Alice said, taking the controller from jasper. Bella slipped down from Edward's back. No one spoke and she was about to ask who when a voice came from the stairs.

"Edward." The voice said, "It's good to see you again. It's been too long." Bella looked at the stairs and even two years around the Cullen's couldn't keep her jaw from dropping a little. The three people on the stairs were stunning. More then stunning, so exquisitely beautiful they made Rosalie look plain.

The one on the lowest step, the one who had spoken, had strawberry blond hair, a studied smile and the golden eyes that Bella knew was the sign of a vegetarian vampire. One step above her stood a woman whose face seemed even paler with the way her waist length black hair framed her face, but the true smile on her lips was warm and inviting. Two steps above her stood the third woman. The plain brown hair didn't stop her from being the most beautiful of the three, but the crossed arms, narrowed eyes, pressed lips, and haughty tilt of the head left Bella with no doubt of who it was.

"Tanya, Katrina, Irina." Edward greeted them by name, letting Bella know she was right. "We're glad you could make it." The three descended the stairs and walked over. Tanya extended her hand to Bella.

"It is such a pleasure to finally meet you, Bella." Barely touching Bella's hand before letting it drop.

"Yes," Katrina said moving over, grasping Bella's shoulder and pressing an air kiss on each cheek. "Edward has told us so much about you."

"Give it a rest, Kate!" Irina said, walking over and gracefully sitting next to Rosalie, and stared a conversation about the fashion magazine she was looking at.

"I'm sorry about that, Bella." Katrina sighed, "She's been in a snit for a few months now."

"No, it's okay." Bella said, glancing at Edward. While she was worried about what Irina would do while in Forks, she did understand her reason. If something happened to Edward...she'd probably be the same. The four of them walked over to the remaining couch and sat, talking quietly amongst themselves.

It was an hour later when Alice suddenly looked at the door with a frown of concentration. "Huh," she muttered, "That's unexpected..., but, Yes! They got it!" she jumped up and ran to the door.

All eyes turned to Edward, but he was looking at the door in confusing as well. "Carlisle and Esme are back, they have someone with them, and old friend of Carlisle's, but..."

The door burst open and Alice bounced in. she was carrying a t-shirt box. "Bella!" she called and was halfway up the stairs before she noticed that Bella wasn't following her. "Come on! Hurry!" she said bouncing in place.

Bella groaned and buried her head in Edward's shoulder. "Do you know what it is yet?" she asked.

"No, she still blocking.

"Bella!"

"Coming."

"Tell me what it is?" She nodded to him as she past him. Once up the stairs, Alice pulled Bella into her room.

"Here, which do you like better?" Alice asked, holding up two rolls of wrapping paper.

"Don't you already know?"

"Yes, but I wanted to involve you. It is for your wedding gift to Edward."

"I didn't get him anything." Alice cocked an eyebrow and slightly eyed the box on the bed. One of the reasons Bella stopped fussing about how unnecessary the bed Edward purchase was when she realized that everybody, Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, and Carlisle and Esme, all had beds in their rooms. She didn't want to blush too much so she tried not to think of why; just that it meant the Edward had always intended to keep her. Bella sighed.

"It's pointless to argue with you about it, isn't?"

"Yes, but if it makes you happy to know, I saw that if I told you about it you would have asked to get it anyway. I just skipped a step."

"Can I see it first?" she asked taking the roll of white paper with silver swirls.

"Of course!" she moved to the desk to get tape and scissors and was back before Bella realized she had moved. "It's more then one thing, but it all has a common theme that he'll love." She placed the four items on the bed. "They were actually kind of hard to find, not many were made." She waited for Bella's reaction then sighed when she saw only a blank, confused look on Bella's face. "Maybe it was before your time." Alice put the items back in the box, explaining a little bit about them.

"It's kind of strange for a wedding gift?"

"Trust me, he'll love it. He was strangely enamored of it." Alice said. After wrapping it, Alice put on the top shelf of her closet.

Bella was still a little unsure as they went down stairs, but she hadn't gotten him anything and Alice was sure of it and it wasn't smart to bet against Alice. Noticing that Emmett, Rosalie, and Irina had left, she flopped down next Edward, pressed a kiss on his cheek and pulled his arm around her shoulder, eyeing the new arrivals on the couch.

A stranger was sitting next to Carlisle. Bella sighed when she finally got a good look at him. Didn't they know any normal or plain looking people? His short brown hair, dimpled smile and infection grin made him almost as beautiful as Edward. Almost, no one could ever be as beautiful as Edward was to her. But there was something off about him, and it took her a second to realize it was his eyes. They were not black or gold or even sinister red, but a changeful green.

He was human.

But the way Edward had said he was an friend of Carlisle, it sounded like he meant _OLD_ friend. He probably wasn't more then the thirty-something he looked like. She felt Edward tense and realize that Carlisle and Esme had left the room and the new arrival was staring at her.

"We weren't introduced earlier." He said holding out his hand. "I'm Adam Pierson, an old friend of Carlisle's."

"Bella." She said, shaking his hand. Pressed as she was against Edward's side, she could feel the growl he was suppressing as the handshake and stare went on for a little too long.

"I hear you two are getting married in a couple of days?"

"Yes." Edward said, still tense. Adam didn't notice or care.

"Congratulation. The days before the wedding were always the best."

"You're married?" Bella asked

"Once or twice." He replied, with the same kind of smile that Edward use to use when they had first met.

Carlisle came back inside carrying a box, which he handed the Adam. Esme came back as well holding a glass of ice water for Bella. Adam reached into the box, pulled out a bottle, twisted off the cap and took a swig. Carlisle sighed.

"_Adam_, try to save some for later."

"Yes, dad." Adam said with an unrepentant grin. Carlisle rolled his eyes and sat back down.

"How long have you known Carlisle?" Edward asked. Bella looked at Edward in confusion. She didn't know if he was just being polite, but he would have already read the answer in his mind.

"Oh, quite a while now. Probably longer then you think." The unabashed grin never left Adam's face. It seemed to get even bigger as the two of them entered into a staring contest.

A car driving up interrupted the tension as Emmett ran inside.

"Carmen and Eleazar are here, can we play ball now? The storms coming."

"Yes," Esme said, "I think we will all enjoy that. Would you get the others, Emmett?" He was up the stairs before Bella stood up. She turned to get her coat from Edward but got twisted up in her own feet. Her fall was halted, but not by Edward as she thought it would have been.

"Careful." Adam said as he put on a trench coat that was lying on the back of the couch. The left side seemed to fall against him, as if weighed down. Edward was immediately there, glaring at Adam, pulling Bella on to his back and then they were running.

After arriving at the clearing, her and Adam walked off to the side as the others decided on teams. Halfway to the spot she usual sat at, she tripped on the flat, even ground. Adam caught her again, looking at her in concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes," she said, with a laugh. "I'm just perpetually clumsy."

"Oh?" They finally sat down.

"Yeah, I have no sense balance at all. Edward also loves to remind me that I'm a trouble magnet."

"Yes, Carlisle was telling me about some of the things that have happened to you since you came to live here. Said it seem to start with a car accident that Edward stopped. Has it always been so bad?"

"The supernatural danger has only been since I met Edward. I've always been clumsy, but it does seem like it's gotten worse since I moved here."

"Really?" the way he said it was more like he was trying if figure out an intense puzzle, instead of trying to sound interested in the conversation. Suddenly Edward was there, pulling her away from Adam, wrapping a raincoat around her, and disappearing again. Adam just smirked at Edward's behavior, keeping his stare intact, till a loud crack echoed through the clearing. The game had started.

If Bella thought it was interesting to watch just the Cullen's play baseball, watching with the Denali vampires was indescribable. The game didn't change any, but it seemed to speed up, and yet slow down to where she could almost see some of the plays being made. Esme sat with her and Adam in her usual position as umpire. The game paused while the teams switch side, Bella stood to go talk to Edward, but her way was stopped by Tanya.

"I haven't seen it yet."

"Seen what?"

"What ever he sees in you. You don't seem any different than any of the other pitiful humans around here." She stared to circle Bella. "You don't smell any better, definitely not the way he described you. A scent so sweet it took all of his _considerable_ control to stop him from killing you the first day he met you. Not very pretty, not even by human standers, let alone ours." She stopped behind Bella and leaned over her shoulder to whisper in her ear. "So tell me, what makes you so special that you have not only _my Edward, _protecting you, but that mangy pack of dogs as well."

"He's not yours." Was all Bella could say while fighting the terror of this unexpected threat.

"Yes he is!" Bella hissed as Tanya grabbed her by the back of her neck. "I've never failed in getting what I want, not in the 1000 years I've been a vampire, and no slip of a human girl is going to stop me. I thought I wouldn't have to go this far, but Laurent let me down." Those words froze the blood in Bella's veins. Laurent was working for Tanya? No, he said the favor was for Victoria, but then it wasn't hard to believe that the murdering vampire was lying? "I asked him to do one little thing, kill one insignificant human girl and he can't even do that. He wasn't worthy of my sister."

"No!" Edward yelled. He had heard Bella startled hiss, looking up he saw Bella's terrified face and Tanya's hand on her neck.

Having been alive for a hundred and five years, Edward had seen many things. Iguazu Falls in Brazil, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China.

He had done many things. Medical School, Law School, Driven so fast on the Autobhan that they told him to slow down, and cliff dived off the Grand Canyon just for the fun of it.

He had even been many things. Doctor, Mechanic, Pianist, and for five years he was the monster that legend says he is.

But he had never been as terrified as he was right now. If he could sleep, he would have said that this was his worst nightmare come true. His yell drew everybody's attention. They ran to where Tanya and Bella stood.

"Careful, Edward" Tanya said, giving Bella a shake, "you wouldn't want me to lose my grip." The Cullen's fell into a half circle around them. The rest of Tanya's family stood behind them, indecisive

"Let her go!"

"Tanya, what are you doing?" Carlisle asked, mystified

"I'm saving Edward all the future pain and grief this little human would cause him." Edward felt sick, he could read it in her thoughts, she believed what she said. That killing Bella would save him from making a mistake and that he would be so grateful he would come to her.

"Tanya, let Bella go. What you're thinking will never happen. Especially if you hurt her."

"You're wrong, Edward. It might take a while, but you'll thank me later." Tanya's hand twitched. Bella's eyes, which had been on Edward, widened slightly, then went blank. Tanya released her hand and Bella fell like a rag doll.

To the one pair of human eyes left in the field, a lot seemed to happen in the next second. The roar of seven very angry vampires rumbled through the forest, Carlisle was next to Bella, checking for vital signs, and the rest of the Cullen's surrounded Tanya. A second after that fire was releasing purple smoke into the sky.

Edward stumbled back to Carlisle, who could only shake his head. Edward fell to his knees and trembling, gather Bella to him. His family circled around, Jasper and Emmett kept an eye on the others from Denali.

"I'm so sorry, Edward!" Alice said from the circle of Jasper's arms. "I was watching Irina's actions. I didn't think to look for anything else." If it was possible, Alice would be crying.

Adam sighed and approached the group slowly; it was never good to startle a group of over emotional vampires. He crouched next to Carlisle, head tilted as if listening to something.

"Edward, you need to put her down." The only response was a grief stricken snarl. Adam sighed again. "I'm not going to touch her, no one is going to touch her, but this will take longer if she's not laying flat."

"Methos?" Carlisle asked, using his friend's real name. Methos nodded. "Edward, put Bella down." Carlisle said. "Trust me." He said when Edward glared at him. Reluctantly, Edward lowered Bella to the ground. The back of his hand caressed the side of her face as he straightened her neck. He kept one of her hands in his.

"She's still warm." He whispered.

"Yes, like that." He heard Adam? Methos? Say softly. At the same time he thought he felt his hand move. He looked down and saw that Bella's hand had clutched his. His eyes snapped to her face just in time to see her arch up as she took a shuddering breath in.

"Bella?" he breathed, not knowing what to think.

"Ow?" she said as she curled into a ball, clutching her head.

"Bella?" he said again.

"Edward, it hurts." She whimpered.

"Bella, I need you to look at me." She heard a voice, not Edward's, say. She looked up to Adam staring at her. "That's it, just look at me. Is it starting to recede? It won't go away, it will still be there, but almost like background noise. Is that happening?" she nodded. "Good, then I suggest you look at your fiance before he tears me apart limb by limb." Bella felt cold bands wrap around her chest and felt herself pulled back against Edward's chest. His face was buried in her neck and he inhaled deeply.

"Bella." He whispered, stricken. She turned and gasped when she saw the pain etched on his face.

"Edward, what's wrong?" she wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel him trembling. "What happened? Where's Tanya? Did I faint?" Edward shook his head.

"Bella, you were dead!"

"What! No! I just passed out. I felt her hand tighten on my neck and must have gotten so scared that I fainted."

"No Bella," Alice said, kneeling down next to them. "We all heard it." Edward winced. "She snapped your neck." Bella shook her head in denial. She looked around at the faces of her future family. They all looked too serious, that was when she noticed the fire a little way behind them.

"Perhaps we should return to the house." Esme suggested. Edward's arm snaked out under Bella's knees and he took off running.

Carlisle turned his attention to the rest of the Denali vampires. Eleazar stepped forward.

"We are very sorry this has happened. If you want us to leave, we would understand."

"That is not necessary." Carlisle said. "As long as none of you" he looked at Irina "cause any more trouble."

"We won't." she said.

"I hope," Kate said, quietly. "That whatever has happened works out for the best." Carlisle's lips twitched.

"I think it will."

By the time this conversion was finished, Edward had already made it back to the house. He didn't stop till he made it to their room. He gently set her down on the bed before joining her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Actually I've never felt better. I should be asking you how you're doing?" He lowered his head to her neck, inhaling deeply. He let out a growl from low in his throat.

"I don't know how, but you smell ever better." He didn't lift his head, but his arms around her were trembling. "Bella!" his voice was strangled, "I thought I'd lost you. She had you, an-and Alice was right, we all heard the snap, and you fell..." his arms tightened. "I thought you were dead, that after everything we've been through..." he lifted his head, and brought a hand up to her cheek. Then he was kissing her. She recognized the desperation in the kiss, it was the same from when he sent her to Phoenix with Alice and Jasper.

"Edward." She said, intending to try and comfort him some, but she didn't get too far. "I'm al-ahhhhhhhh!" she tried curled up in a ball, but Edward stopped her. He pulled her into his lap.

"Bella! What's wrong?" he started rocking her.

"Edward, bring Bella down stairs." He heard Carlisle say.

"She's hurt!"

"Just bring her down. It'll be alright. Trust me." He was quickly seated on one of the couches downstairs. He was sitting across from Adam. Bella was still in his lap, but she glanced over at the strange friend of Carlisle's and seemed to calm down some.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked again.

"It's buzzing. My head, it's buzzing."

"Bella." Adam said, calmly. He was the only one besides Carlisle who was not gathered around them looking worried. Bella looked over when her name was called. Her brown eyes locked with his green and she let out a breath, slowly, relaxing in Edward's grip. "Better?"

She nodded, not looking away till she felt a cold hand on her cheek, forcing her to. When her eyes refocused, they were staring in to Edward's lovely golden eyes. Edward pulled her back against his chest.

"What did you do it her?" the growl under the words echoed around the room. "Who are you? What are you? Carlisle called you Methos? Is that the who or the what?" Bella noticed the look that Jasper and Alice shared, because it was the same one she shared with Rosalie, confusion that Edward didn't already know the answers. The next question confirmed it. "How come I can't read you?"

Adam had remained clam, patiently waiting for Edward to finish, but the last question had him quirking an eyebrow.

"Edward can read minds." Carlisle informed him.

"Oh, and he can't read me?" Edward shook his head, glaring. "That ever happen before?" Bella squirmed at the feeling of everybody staring at her. Adam considered Bella "Hmm. Maybe it's a trait of our kind."

"Our kind?" she asked.

"Yes, I'll have to look into this, but later, first, your questions. My real name is Methos. I'm sure you can see why I go by something a little more modern. As for what I am, what Bella now is, well, we're an immortals."

Silence, then Bella spoke.

"I figured that part, what with the dying and now not being dead thing." She didn't look impressed. "But what _exactly_ are we?"

"That's the problem when they meet the supernatural kind first." He muttered to himself, "No sense of awe." He sighed. "We're just immortal, no gifts, no changing shape, no extra strength, no nothing. Just living forever. We heal fast, will never age or die of natural causes."

"Oh."

"Yeah, that's not everything, but it's not too bad."

"Wh-ho-why...?" she trailed off, not knowing what to say. How do you ask how you've become immortal?

"How and why did this happen?" Bella nodded.

"The how I can answer, the why," he sat back and shook his hand in the air, "That's kinda tricky. You became immortal because you died a violent death. I.e. not in your sleep or any sort of natural causes. The violence of your death triggered your latent immortality. You're eighteen, more or less at the peak of your physical development. You mentioned that you've always been clumsy, but it seemed to get worse when you moved here, starting with almost getting hit by a van. That was probably your immortality trying to get you killed so you would stay at that peak." He leaned forward and reached into the box that Carlisle had brought in early. He took out a bottle and flipped off the lid and took a swig. "That's part of the why, the other part, the why you had the latent immortality..." he shrugged. "If you find that out, tell me." He slouched back, crossed his ankles on the coffee table and took another drink.

Edward, like the rest of his family, sat in silence. His chin was resting on Bella's shoulder. It was a lot to take in, but there was only one thought going through his head.

Bella was immortal. He buried his nose in the nape of her neck and took a deep breath, inhaling her sweet sent.

Bella was still human, still had her soul, was not going to become a monster like him, but she wasn't going to age, wasn't going to die on him, leaving him in a way he couldn't follow. She was forever at teenager like him, but she wasn't dammed to be a vampire. This changed everything.

Bella knew what Edward was thinking when she felt his smile stretch across her shoulder. She turned slightly, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed her forehead to his. The corner of her lip turned up at the pure happiness that was on his face. She couldn't keep it in and she matched his smile.

She had gotten her wish and more. She was still human! She didn't have to stay away from her friends, for fear of wanting to snack on them. She didn't have to abandoned her father or her mother just yet. She didn't have to worry about the pack starting a war when she was changed. The treaty wasn't going to be broken, no biting! Jacob would be ecstatic she was staying human. And she could still stay with Edward, forever.

They stayed like that, just staring into each others eyes, their own little world. The others let them. "So," Alice asked after a few minutes of silence, wanting to get the conversation going again "How did you meet Carlisle?" but apparently that was the wrong question, as Carlisle looked away, but Methos just started laughing.

"Are you still upset about it, my friend? Just be glad it was me and not someone else."

"Oh, I am, but still..." Carlisle trailed off and Methos patted his shoulder comfortingly, then turned back to the others.

"We met when he killed me." He said, cheerfully grinning at everyone. "Yes, it was in March of 1687."

"I was making my way across Europe," Carlisle said. "It was still a few years before I'd make it to Italy. I'd been denying the thirst for way too long. I had not yet found out that I could live off of animals and I knew I would have to do something soon. When someone stops outside the abandoned barn I was spending the day in."

"It was dusk, I had been riding all day and was looking for somewhere to spend the night." Methos took up the story. "Abandon buildings are great, no one bothers you about rent. Anyway I step into the barn, feel a band around my chest, my head is pushed to the side and there's a pain in my neck. Next thing I know, I'm waking up, it's dark outside and he's" points to Carlisle" on his knees next to me muttering 'what have I done' over and over again. I had a headache and he was making it worse, so I told him to shut up."

"Scared the hell out of me too. I think I would have had a heart attack if I wasn't already dead."

"You scrambled backward fast asking me what was I, as if you had any reason to talk." They shared a smile at their remembrance.

The conversation picked up again and time passed, but Bella and Edward didn't seem to rejoin the others till Bella yawned.

"Good idea!" Methos said, "Sleep is probably we-well, Bella and I-need." He turned to Carlisle, "Do you have a place I could crash for a few hours, preferably not a couch?" Bella and Edward were at the top of the stairs when he spoke again. "Oh, Bella, just so you know, vampire venom doesn't work on us-at all. We don't even notice it. Just thought you should know." She looked at him confused for a second, before his meaning became clear. Then she returned his grin and followed Edward upstairs

Bella knew as she woke that the ridiculously happy smile form last night was still on her face. She cracked her eyes slightly and saw her wedding dress draped over the hotel room chair where Edward placed it last night. She turned her face into Edward's chest-his bare chest. The skin felt slightly warm from being pressed against her all night long. She felt the blush go all the way to her toes as she twined their legs together. Edward chuckled and tightened his hold on her and pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Morning." He said. She sighed

"That's one thing I don't like about this. I still need to sleep!"

"You always get annoyed at the issues that are the most inconsequential." He said. He mentally reviewed everything that Methos had told them about Bella's new life. Even though Methos had tried to explain it he still wasn't quite sure what a Quickening was, but part of him understood the morbid humor that led them to call the act of hunting each other "The Game".

Bella was just as immortal as him. Part of him wished that she wasn't still as breakable as she always was, but last night went well and if something did happen, she would be fine in a few minutes. There was only one way she could die and that was by beheading. Methos had also told them that he would find a friend to teach Bella how to use a sword. He shuddered at the thought of his accident prone Bella facing another of her kind in a one-on-one sword fight to the death. Until then, Methos had told them that if she felt another immortal nearing to get to holy ground, that it was the only place that she would be safe. Edward was ready to build a house on holy ground and never let her leave.

"Yeah, well just wait till a hundred years from now and you get bored of watching me sleep." She rolled over, wrapped the sheet around herself, grabbed her travel bag and darted into the bathroom.

Edward waited till he heard the water running before he got up as well. He pulled on a pair of boxer and a t-shirt, before digging into the bottom of his bag to find what he had hidden there. He took them over the bathroom door and waited till she let out a disgruntled growl and started cursing Alice.

"Here." He said, opening the door and handing the pajama bottoms and tank she usually wore in. He knew that she would prefer them to the shocking short negligee that Alice had made sure was the only night close in her bag. He had already called for room service and wheeled the cart closer to the bed. He also put the only two wedding present they had with them on the bed. The ones they had gotten for each other.

Bella exited the bathroom and sat at the table. They talked of trivial things, but here eyes kept flashing to the presents.

"So," she said when she had finished, "You know how it's pretty stupid to bet against Alice?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm hopping that she was as right as she usually is and that what's in that box is something you will like." They moved back to the bed and he picked up the bigger of the two boxes.

"Alice picked this?"

"Yes, I'm not sure about it as a wedding present, but she assured me that it's something you'll love." He slowly unwrapped and opened the box.

"I don't believe it!" he said, in awe. He took the box set, the two shirts and the Pez dispenser out of the box. "Where did she find there?"

"She's Alice. She said that you loved the show, I'd never heard of it and she tried to explain it. It sounded funny, but I'm not sure I understood it all." He looked at her in shock.

"You've never heard of _Count Duckula_?" she shook her head. "It was a neat show. The main character was a vegetarian vampire duck. And I mean real vegetarian, he only ate vegetables. His butler wanted him to be a regular evil vampire, and kept serving him blood. He had a nursemaid, who was a little bit on the dim side and his castle could go anywhere he wanted it to go. It was only on for a couple of seasons in the mid-80's. I didn't know they made any merchandise for it." He picked up the Pez dispenser. It looked like Daffy Duck, but green with some black hair and the typical Dracula cape.

"So, Alice was right?"

"Yes." He repacked the box, the handed her the thin narrow box that was left. "Going with our previous agreement there is nothing new in this box."

"More crystals?" she asked, holding up the arm her bracelet was on. The diamond shaped heart sparkled.

"No, it's not even jewelry. Well, it's on a chain, but it's not really meant to be worn." She cocked an eyebrow as she tore the paper and opened the box. Inside was an old fashion key on a chain. She lifted it to dangle between them, but he just smiled at her confused look. She looked back in the box and picked up the stiff rectangle, flipping it over she saw it was a photograph. The sepia color telling of its age.

But that wouldn't have been needed as she quickly saw what or who it was a picture of. It was a house, not big or ornate, but still nice looking. She could see the edge of a city off to the right. But what was more amazing was the three people standing in front of the house.

"Edward, is this..." The young couple smiled at the camera. The husband had his arm around his wife's shoulder. She leaned her head on his shoulder and held the hand of the little boy standing next to her.

"My parents, yes. It was taken the day my Father had presented my Mother with the house. He had worked had to save up enough to get us out of the city. It took a long time. He started saving when she told him she was pregnant with me and as you can see he couldn't afford it till I was seven." Bella held up the key again and everything clicked.

"You mean..."

"Yes. I still own it. I thought we could go there for our honeymoon. I could show you around the places I use to go, at least what's still there. Also there are some-"

He stopped speaking as suddenly his wife's lips were pressed against his. Planning could wait as they fell back against the bed.


End file.
